Blackouts in Cuba continue unabated: Information note from the Electric Union

More than a thousand megawatts of deficit and uninterrupted power outages are forecast for today.

The energy situation in Cuba remains at a standstill. This Thursday, May 2, the National Electricity System (SEN) woke up to another nationwide blackout.

Availability is insufficient to cover minimum demand, and the fuel shortage is exacerbating the situation.

The cuts are piling up and discontent is growing.

The previous day, outages extended 24 hours and continued into the early morning. The peak impact was 1337 MW at 8:20 p.m., exceeding even official forecasts due to an unexpected increase in demand and the shutdown of Unit 3 of the Renté thermoelectric plant.

This morning, SEN availability was just 1700 MW compared to a demand of 2700 MW, representing a real deficit of 1046 MW. By midday, outages are estimated to reach 1150 MW.

Thermoelectric plants without stability and plants out of fuel

In addition to the Renté outage, Felton Unit 2 has also been out. Other key plants are undergoing maintenance: Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, and Renté. A total of 518 MW cannot be brought online due to technical limitations.

Even more serious is the fuel shortage. Seventy-nine distributed generation plants (79 MW) are shut down, in addition to the fuel plants in Mariel, Moa, and Regla, for a total of 552 MW out of service due to this cause alone.

A minimal improvement for peak hours

For the night, the partial entry of some units such as Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (110 MW) and Patana de Regla (54 MW) is expected, in addition to a recupgeneration of 150 MW in diesel plants. Even so, capacity will not exceed 2014 MW, insufficient for an expected demand of 3350 MW. The deficit would reach 1336 MW, with blackouts of up to 1406 MW.

Solar energy still without sufficient impact

The production of the new solar parks was 1120 MWh, a figure that still fails to reduce the deficit or compensate for the shortcomings in thermal generation. The population, for its part, is beginning to lose patience.

Citizen outrage overflows on social media

Comments on Facebook were not long in coming after the official report of the UNE:

— “After the May Day parade, the blackouts returned. It seems the 'revolutionary savings' were just for photo ops.”

—“How is it possible that new plants are coming online and the deficit is rising at the same time? Someone is lying.”

—“If they synchronized Cienfuegos yesterday, why has my neighborhood in Mayabeque been without power since 6 p.m. yesterday? It doesn't add up.”

- "The UNE "He doesn't even respect math. They increase demand, decrease generation, and expect us to believe the daily report."

— “12-hour blackouts when there's less deficit, and now that there's supposedly more generation, we're still the same or worse. This is a joke.”

Other reports suggest that the available fuel was reserved to ensure the May Day parade, and that after the event, the country returned to a widespread blackout.

— “Solar farms are producing, and the deficit is rising. It sounds like a meme, but it's reality.”

— “After the show, everything returns to normal: deficits, blackouts, and more empty justifications.”

— “They're proposing that all government meetings be held without air conditioning, in solidarity with the people. Let's see if they can handle the heat like we can.”